7 News Belize

Elderly Man Collapses and Dies On Market Sidewalk
posted (June 12, 2012)
This morning the lifeless body of an elderly man lay dead on the sidewalk in front of the Novelo's Bus Terminal. He was later identified to us as 82 year old Alfred Camera - a resident of Hattiville. According to witnesses, Camera was making a purchase at the nearby market and was complaining about not feeling well. When he exited the market place, he fell on the sidewalk in front of the bus terminal. Many tried to assist the elderly man by calling 911 but they said it took A WHILE for the ambulance to arrive and by that time, Camera was already dead.

Mario Noralez, witness
"While I was coming from this direction, I saw a young lady in a pink and black pants standing with a group of people here. But I look on the ground I saw that a man was laying on the ground. The young lady told me that the old man fall but she doesn't know what happened. I pick up the old man and I check him, he was still living. I got on my phone and call 911 and they told me that the ambulance would come right now. About 15-20 minutes after the ambulance still didn't come."

"Shortly after that a "jew boy" came to feel the man pulse then shortly after that the man dies. I feel like it was the negligence of the system."

Monica Bodden
"He was alive?"

Mario Noralez, witness
"He was alive at the time I call 911. From there I left to do my business."

Monica Bodden
"So you are saying that an ambulance didn't get on the scene on time?"

Mario Noralez, witness
"The ambulance didn't come any at all."

Monica Bodden
"How long you would say the ambulance arrived?"

Mario Noralez, witness
"About an hour after."

Phillip Henry, witness
"I saw the motionless body on the ground. As a member of the hospital about 10 years ago - I wanted to do CPR on this guy, but I notice that the guy had a strong pulse because my friend check him like 20 minutes after. He was giving finger signs that he was okay."

"At that time another lady came over from the market and said that he was in the market buying some watermelon and he said that he wasn't feeling good. I decide to call the police department to see what the problem was why they didn't show up with the ambulance."

"I started o calculate my time from their call which is 20 before, 20 minutes plus my time would give you 40 minutes. That's just to show you. Still, no response from the police department nor the ambulance."

"I want to know how much how a relationship the police have with the ambulance department because in times like these there are a lot of senior citizens moving around in the streets. Belize has like a heat wave right now. For you to call the police department and the ambulance department and they are saying that they already dispatch these people - where do they dispatch them? to St. Martin's, to other places when I told them its Novelo's Bus terminal. I call Jules and he sent you guys, you even got here before them."

Camera daughter told us that her father didn't have any known illness and she is still in shock about his sudden death.


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